Foot support

ABSTRACT

A DEVICE THAT INCLUDES AN ARCUATELY MOVABLE PLATFORM THAT MOVES INTO A STABILIZED POSITION TO CONCURRENTLY SUPPORT THE HEEL AND CALF OF A USER IN AN ELEVATED, SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION FOR HIS COMFORT.

5mm. 19, 197i 6. R. SMITH FOOT SUPPORT Filed Oct. 9. 19s

I N VENTOR.

2NN A. Jar/7H firm/var United States Patent 3,556,591 FOOT SUPPORT GlennR. Smith, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Anna L. Medearis, Lakewood,Calif. Filed Oct. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 766,128 Int. Cl. A47c 9/12, 4/02U.S. Cl. 297439 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device thatincludes an arcuately movable platform that moves into a stabilizedposition to concurrently support the heel and calf of a user in anelevated, substantially horizontal position for his comfort.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention A device forconcurrently supporting both the heel and calf of a user in ahorizontally disposed, elevated position.

Description of the prior art SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An angularlypositioned platform that is capable of arcuate movement to a stabilizedposition in which the users feet and calf portions are fully andcomfortably supported in an elevated, substantially horizontal position.

A major object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight,portable footrest of simple mechanical structure that automaticallyassumes a stabilized position to support both a users feet and calves ina comfortable, elevated position above a floor surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a firstform of the support;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the support;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the support;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the support showing a users legresting thereon;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a second form of the support; and

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a second form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The first form A of theinvention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, is of relativelysimple structure, and formed from three major components comprising atubular frame B, a platform C, and a backboard D.

Platform C may be either of solid or upholstered structure, and isgenerally rectangular. The upper surface 10 of platform C is preferablydefined by a longitudinally extending center ridge 10a and twooppositely disposed side portions 10b.

Frame B includes two parallel, upwardly extending,

3,556,591 Patented Jan. 19, 1971 "ice laterally spaced legs 12, theupper ends of which develop into two straight support members 14 thatare secured by conventional means to the bottom of platform C. The rearends of support members 14 develop into two upwardly extending secondlegs 16 that are connected at their top portions by a crosspiece 18.Second legs 16 and crosspiece 18: are secured to the rear surface 20 ofbackboard D (FIGS. 3 and 4) by conventional means and serve as a supporttherefor.

The lower ends of first legs 12 merge into two arcuate rockers 20 thatare in the form of compound curves. The rear ends of runners 20 areconnected by a cross bar 22 provided with a centrally disposed,downwardly extending stop 24 formed as an integral part thereof.

The length of the support members 14 and the weight of the platform Cand backboard D are so selected that the center of gravity E of theupper portion of the first form A of the foot support is positionedrearwardly of the points of contact F of rockers 20 on a floor 26, asshown in FIG. 3. Due to this positioning of the center of gravity E thefirst form A of the foot support tends to pivot in a counterclockwisedirection on floor 26 until further pivotal movement is arrested whenthe stop 24 contacts the floor. A vertically extending phantom line 28in FIG. 3 shows the space relationship between center of gravity E andthe points of contact F.

When the legs G of a user (not shown). rest on the platform C, therockers 20 move to a position such as shown in FIG. 4 where there arenew points of contact F. The weight of the calf of the leg G on theplatform C shifts the center of gravity E of the upper portion of thefirst form A to a new center of gravity E. A vertical phantom line 28extends downwardly through the center of gravity E to show the spacerelationship between E and points of contact F.

When the first form A is disposed as shown in FIG. 4, the feet 30 of theuser G are positioned adjacent to the backboard D, and the claves 32 ofthe user are in contact with surface portions 10b. Because the center ofgravity E is to the left of points of contact F in FIG. 4, the firstform A of the foot support tends to pivot in a counterclockwisedirection and afford concurrent support to both the feet 30 and calves32 of the legs G of the user. The users heel portions 30a rest on theside surface portions 101) as illustrated in FIG. 4.

The second form H of the foot support shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 isidentical to the first form A, other than that the reverse curves 34 areincluded in the left-hand end portions of rockers 20 and serve the samefunctions as the stops 24. Components of the second form H common to thefirst form of foot support are identical in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the sameidentifying numerals and letters as used in the first form employed withform H, except that a prime has been added thereto.

In use, operation of the invention is extremely simple, and both forms Aand H thereof operate in the same manner. The raised portion 10 servesto maintain the legs G of the user in spaced relationship when restingon the side surfaces 10b. When the legs G of the user rest on either theplatform C, either of these platforms pivot into the stabilized positionshown in FIG. 4 wherein both the feet 30 and calves 32 of the user (notshown) are concurrently supported to assure utmost comfort. When theuser (not shown) removes his legs G from either the first or second formof the foot support, the foot support immediately pivots into theposition shown in FIGS. 3 or 5.

What is claimed is:

1. A footrest of the type that includes a generally rectangularfoot-supported platform, an elongated rectangular backboard, and arockable frame for supporting said backboard substantially normal tosaid platform and rearwardly and upwardly therefrom, said frame beingcharacterized by a single length of tubing that by bending is shaped todefine:

(a) two laterally spaced parallel rockers of compound curvature; 5

(b) two first legs that extend upwardly from first forward ends of saidrockers;

(c) two support members that extend rearwardly from upper ends of saidfirst legs and have said platform mounted on the upper portions thereof;10

((1) two second legs that extend upwardly from the rearward ends of saidsupport members and substantially normal thereto;

(e) a crosspiece that connects the upper ends of said second legs, withsaid backboard secured to the for- 15 ward portions of said crosspieceand second legs; and

(f) a cross member that connects the rearward ends of said rockers, withsaid rockers of such curvature that when the latter rest on a smoothsurface the 20 weight of said platform and support members is sodistributed thereon that said footrest automatically 4 pivots to aposition where said platform is disposed in an upwardly and forwardlyextending position. 2. A footrest as defined in claim 1 which inaddition includes:

(g) a stop formed as a part of said cross member that contacts saidsmooth surface to prevent further pivotal movement of said rockers aftersaid footrest has pivoted to a position to dispose said platform at adesired upwardly and forwardly extending relationship relative to saidsmooth surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,281,119 4/1942 Smith '2974392,854,062 9/1958 Hetchler 297270 3,162,486 12/1964 Emery 297439 CASMIRA. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R.

